Both engines of the plane that crashed in South Korea in late December, killing 179 people, show signs of a bird strike, according to a preliminary investigation report released today.
South Korean investigators said feathers and bloodstains belonging to a mottled duck were found on the motorbikes.
It is a migratory bird that can mostly be found in Siberia, but spends the winter in East Asia. The pilots recorded the collision with the bird just before the forced landing at Muan International Airport in Jeolla Province, about 288 kilometers southwest of Seoul.
According to a preliminary report, flight data and cockpit voices stopped recording about four minutes before the fatal crash. The exact reason for this is still unknown. The Boeing 737-800 landed on its belly and skidded down the runway, bursting into flames after hitting a concrete structure.
It was carrying 181 people, 179 of whom died. The two survivors were crew members. Except for two Thai nationals, all were Korean citizens. Investigators said that in the next phase of the investigation, the engines will be disassembled and their parts will be carefully examined.
(Vijesti.ba)
